Commission presses on with long term programme to protect A82

Issued by Forestry Commission Scotland

Efforts
to make safe an unstable cliff face above the A82 near Invermoriston will
require that the A82 remains closed this weekend.

Geo-technical
teams from Forestry Commission Scotland’s Steep Ground Harvesting Programme are
continuing to grapple with the demands of challenging terrain in a bid to
complete the work as quickly – and safely – as possible.

Alex
McLeod, who is managing the Commission’s long-term Steep Ground Harvesting
programme along the A82 said;

“I have to thank our colleagues in BEAR
Scotland and Police Scotland for the way in which they responded to this
particular incident.

“Together with Geo-rope, our technical
advisors, we are co-ordinating efforts to clear debris, assess and make safe
the hillside and we will continue to work with our colleagues in Bear Scotland
and Police Scotland to complete the necessary work as quickly as possible.”

Iain
McDonald, BEAR Scotland’s North West Unit Network Manager, said: “We continue to work with Forestry
Commission Scotland to enable the A82 to be reopened following the rock fall
yesterday and although the road is now clear of debris, there are still
concerns about the slope.

“Public safety remains the ultimate concern
and we are therefore advising that the A82 remains closed as operations
progress.”

Initial
indications are that an old oak tree fell on to a boulder field and triggered
the rock fall. However, the Commission’s team will continue to investigate the
cause as they further develop plans to stabilise the slope.

Indications
are that the work required will be technically challenging and a major
undertaking – possibly requiring the use of a helicopter to airlift materials
and equipment to the site.

Two
rocks (approx. six tonnes each) need to be broken up and removed before catch
fencing is then installed.

Alex
added; “We are looking into what underlying causes
may be behind this incident but it illustrates once again the urgency behind
our long-term programme.

“Felling the mature trees along the A82 and
cleaning and scaling the rock face will significantly reduce the likelihood of
these types of incidents in the future.

“We’d like to thank all local residents and
road users for their continued patience and understanding.”

The
section of hillside affected has not yet been tackled by the Commission’s Steep
Ground Harvesting team but work was scheduled to begin in September this year.

Up
to date information on traffic management measures will be available on the
Traffic Scotland Web site http://trafficscotland.org/
as and when they are required.